Census Pressure on Mining Towns: Australia’s FIFO “ghost population” debate is heating up as Kalgoorlie-Boulder leaders warn the 2026 Census may undercount fly-in fly-out workers, straining local services. Gold Development Update (WA): WA Gold says all seven Phase 1 diamond holes at Abercromby hit the Eastern Lode, with results up to 35.21g/t supporting continuity over at least 500m and more drilling planned. Green Iron Exports: South Australia’s DryFlow Magnetics is shipping its modular green iron tech to the US after finding an offshore buyer, aiming to cut steel emissions using magnet-based processing. Defense Minerals Funding (Guyana): The US is putting $150m into Guyana bauxite to secure refractory-grade supply for defense, including expansion of the First Bauxite mine and new processing steps. Mining Governance (Liberia): Liberia rolls out a Gold Traceability System with mandatory official vouchers from Oct 1, 2026 to curb illicit gold flows. Illegal Mining Crackdown (Malawi): Communities along Lilongwe’s Nathenje River report illegal mining is reshaping waterways and raising flooding and safety risks. Crypto Mining Meets AI: Firmus, once a Bitcoin miner, raised $2b at a $10.5b+ valuation to expand modular AI data centers, signaling a major pivot from crypto to compute. DR Congo Policy Shock: Congo’s copper and cobalt concentrate export ban keeps reshaping supply chains and market expectations.